This is a list of American films released in 1979.
Box office The highest-grossing American films released in 1979, by domestic box-office gross revenue, are as follows:
+ Highest-grossing films of 1979 Rank Title Distributor Domestic gross 1 Kramer vs. Kramer Columbia $106,260,000 2 The Amityville Horror American International $86,432,520 3 Rocky IIUnited Artists $85,182,160< 4Star Trek: The Motion Picture Paramount $82,258,456 5 Alien 20th Century Fox $78,944,891 6Apocalypse NowUnited Artists $78,784,010 7 10 Warner Bros. $74,865,517 8The Jerk Universal $73,691,419 9 Moonraker United Artists $70,308,099 10 The Muppet Movie Associated Film $65,200,000
January–March Opening Title Production company Cast and crew Ref.JANUARY 26 Richard Pryor: Live in Concert Special Event Entertainment / Elkins Entertainment / SEE Theater Network Jeff Margolis (director); Richard Pryor (screenplay); Richard Pryor 29 Love on the Run AMLF / Gala / Les Films du Carrosse François Truffaut (director/screenplay); Marie-France Pisier, Jean Aurel, Suzanne Schiffman (screenplay); Jean-Pierre Léaud, Claude Jade, Marie-France Pisier, Dorothée, Dani, Daniel Mesguich, Julien Bertheau, Rosy Varte, Jean-Pierre Ducos, Marie Henriau, Julien Dubois, Pierre Dois, Alain Ollivier, Monique Dury, Emmanuel ClotFEBRUARY 2 The First Great Train Robbery United Artists / Dino De Laurentiis Company / Starling Films Michael Crichton (director/screenplay); Sean Connery, Donald Sutherland, Lesley-Anne Down, Alan Webb, Malcolm Terris, Robert Lang, Michael Elphick, Wayne Sleep, Pamela Salem, Gabrielle Lloyd, George Downing, James Cossins, André Morell, Peter Benson, Janine Duvitski, Peter Butterworth 9 Agatha Warner Bros. / Casablanca FilmWorks / First Artists Michael Apted (director); Kathleen Tynan, Arthur Hopcraft (screenplay); Dustin Hoffman, Vanessa Redgrave, Timothy Dalton, Helen Morse, Celia Gregory, Paul Brooke, Carolyn Pickles, Timothy West, Tony Britton, Alan Badel, Robert Longden, Donald Nithsdale, Yvonne Gilan, Sandra Voe, Barry Hart, David Hargreaves, Tim Seely, Jill Summers, Chris Fairbank, Liz Smith, Peter Arne Hardcore Columbia Pictures / A-Team Productions Paul Schrader (director/screenplay); George C. Scott, Peter Boyle, Season Hubley, Dick Sargent, Gary Rand Graham, Larry Block, Marc Alaimo, Leslie Ackerman, Hal Williams, Reb Brown, Leonard Gaines, David Nichols, Charlotte McGinnes, Ilah Davis, Paul Marin, Will Walker, James Helder Murder by Decree AVCO Embassy Pictures Bob Clark (director); John Hopkins (screenplay): Christopher Plummer, James Mason, David Hemmings, Susan Clark, Anthony Quayle, John Gielgud, Frank Finlay, Donald Sutherland, Geneviève Bujold, Peter Jonfield, Roy Lansford The North Avenue Irregulars Walt Disney Productions / Buena Vista Distribution Bruce Bilson (director); Don Tait (screenplay); Edward Herrmann, Barbara Harris, Susan Clark, Karen Valentine, Michael Constantine, Cloris Leachman, Steve Franken, Patsy Kelly, Douglas Fowley, Virginia Capers, Ruth Buzzi, Herb Voland, Ivor Francis, Louisa Moritz, Marjorie Bennett, Ceil Cabot, Melora Hardin, Dena Dietrich, Cliff Osmond, Carl Ballantine, Alan Hale Jr., Frank Campanella, Chuck Henry, Jack Perkins, Tom Pedi, Gary Morgan, Don Stanley, Bobby Rolofson, Dick Fuchs, Damon Bradley Daskin, Linda Lee Lyons, David Ketchum, David Rode, Pitt Herbert, Bill McLean Quintet 20th Century Fox Robert Altman (director/screenplay); Frank Barhydt, Patricia Resnick (screenplay); Paul Newman, Vittorio Gassman, Fernando Rey, Bibi Andersson, Brigitte Fossey, Nina van Pallandt, David Langton, Thomas Hill, Monique Mercure, Craig Richard Nelson, Anne Gerety, Maruska Stankova, Michel Maillot, Max Fleck, Françoise Berd The Warriors Paramount Pictures Walter Hill (director/screenplay); David Shaber (screenplay); Michael Beck, James Remar, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, Marcelino Sánchez, David Harris, Tom McKitterick, Brian Tyler, Dorsey Wright, Terry Michos, David Patrick Kelly, Roger Hill, Edward Sewer, Lynne Thigpen, Thomas G. Waites, Joel Weiss, Paul Greco, Craig R. Baxley, A. J. Bakunas, Steve James, Bill Anagnos, Mercedes Ruehl, Irwin Keyes, Sonny Landham, John Snyder, Jery Hewitt, Kate Klugman, Konrad Sheehan, Dennis Gregory, Ginny Ortiz 23 Fast Break Columbia Pictures / Kings Road Entertainment Jack Smight (director); Marc Kaplan, Sandor Stern (screenplay); Gabe Kaplan, Harold Sylvester, Bernard King, Randee Heller, Michael Warren, Bert Remsen, Reb Brown, Larry Fishburne, John Chappell, Richard Brestoff, Mavis Washington 26 The Passage Hemdale Film Distribution / Monday Films J. Lee Thompson (director); Bruce Nicolaysen (screenplay); Anthony Quinn, James Mason, Malcolm McDowell, Patricia Neal, Kay Lenz, Christopher Lee, Michael Lonsdale, Marcel Bozzuffi, Paul Clemens, Peter Arne, Neville Jason, Robert Brown, Jim Broadbent, Robert RhysMARCH 2 Norma Rae 20th Century Fox Martin Ritt (director); Irving Ravetch, Harriet Frank Jr. (screenplay); Sally Field, Ron Leibman, Beau Bridges, Pat Hingle, Barbara Baxley, Gail Strickland, Gregory Walcott, Morgan Paull, John Calvin, Noble Willingham, Grace Zabriskie, Robert Broyles Real Life Paramount Pictures Albert Brooks (director/screenplay); Monica Johnson, Harry Shearer (screenplay); Albert Brooks, Charles Grodin, Frances Lee McCain, J. A. Preston, Matthew Tobin, Jennings Lang, David Spielberg, Norman Bartold, Julie Payne, Johnny Haymer, Leo McElroy, Lisa Urette, Robert Stirrat Take Down Buena Vista Distribution / American Film Consortium Kieth Merrill (director/screenplay); Eric Hendershot (screenplay); Edward Herrmann, Lorenzo Lamas, Maureen McCormick, Kathleen Lloyd, Maxx Payne, Stephen Furst, Kevin Hooks, Toney Smith, Salvador Feliciano, Boyd Silversmith, Nicholas Beauvy, Scott Burgi, Lynn Baird, Ron Bartholomew, Vincent Roberts, David M. Thorne, Ray Perry 7 Starcrash New World Pictures / Bancom Audiovision Corporation / Film Enterprise Productions Luigi Cozzi (director/screenplay); Nat Wachsberger, R.A. Dillon (screenplay); Marjoe Gortner, Caroline Munro, David Hasselhoff, Joe Spinell, Robert Tessier, Nadia Cassini, Judd Hamilton, Christopher Plummer 8 The Promise Universal Pictures Gilbert Cates (director); Garry Michael White, Fred Weintraub (screenplay); Kathleen Quinlan, Stephen Collins, Beatrice Straight, Laurence Luckinbill, William Prince, Bibi Besch, Michael O'Hare, Paul Ryan, Michael Collins 14 Hair United Artists Pictures / CIP Filmproduktion GmbH Miloš Forman (director); Michael Weller (screenplay); John Savage, Treat Williams, Beverly D'Angelo, Annie Golden, Dorsey Wright, Don Dacus, Cheryl Barnes, Melba Moore, Ronnie Dyson, Nell Carter, Richard Bright, Ellen Foley, Miles Chapin, Charlotte Rae, Laurie Beechman, Nicholas Ray, Antonia Rey, George J. Manos, Michael Jeter, Renn Woods, David Rose Tourist Trap Compass International Pictures / Manson International Pictures / Mid-America Releasing / Charles Band Productions David Schmoeller (director/screenplay); J. Larry Carroll (screenplay); Chuck Connors, Jocelyn Jones, Jon Van Ness, Robin Sherwood, Tanya Roberts, Dawn Jeffory-Nelson, Keith McDermott, Linnea Quigley Voices United Artists / Cinema International Corporation Robert Markowitz (director); John Herzfeld (screenplay); Michael Ontkean, Amy Irving, Alex Rocco, Herbert Berghof, Barry Miller, Allan Rich, Viveca Lindfors 16 California Dreaming American International Pictures John D. Hancock (director); Ned Wynn (screenplay); Glynnis O'Connor, Dennis Christopher, Seymour Cassel, Tanya Roberts, Dorothy Tristan, John Calvin, Todd Susman, Alice Playten The China Syndrome Columbia Pictures / IPC Films / Major Studio Partners James Bridges (director/screenplay); Mike Gray, T. S. Cook (screenplay); Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Michael Douglas, Scott Brady, Wilford Brimley, James Hampton, Peter Donat, Richard Herd, Daniel Valdez, Stan Bohrman, James Karen The Riddle of the Sands Rank Film Distributors / Worldmark Productions Tony Maylam (director/screenplay); John Bailey (screenplay); Michael York, Simon MacCorkindale, Jenny Agutter, Alan Badel, Michael Sheard, Hans Meyer, Wolf Kahler, Olga Lowe, Jurgen Andersen, Ronald Markham 21 The Bell Jar AVCO Embassy Pictures Larry Peerce (director); Marjorie Kellogg (screenplay); Marilyn Hassett, Julie Harris, Anne Jackson, Barbara Barrie, Robert Klein, Donna Mitchell, Mary Louise Weller, Jameson Parker, Thaao Penghlis, Scott McKay, Meg Mundy 23 Boulevard Nights Warner Bros. Michael Pressman (director); Desmond Nakano (screenplay); Richard Yniguez, Danny De La Paz, Marta DuBois, Carmen Zapata, James Victor, Victor Millan, Garret Pearson, Betty Carvalho, Gary Cervantes, Jerado Carmona, Jesse Aragon, Roberto Covarrubia, Eliseo Estrada, Dawson Mays 28 Phantasm AVCO Embassy Pictures / New Breed Productions Don Coscarelli (director/screenplay); Angus Scrimm, Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Reggie Bannister, Kathy Lester, Bill Cone, Mary Ellen Shaw, Terrie Kalbus, Lynn Eastman
April–June